Chapter Two
Luca hammered in the last tent peg on the guy ropes holding up the big top.
He sat back on his heels and surveyed the activity going on around him.
Everywhere was hustle and bustle as the circus folk prepared for the first show.
He wiped the sweat from his brow and rose to his feet.
Now that the enormous tent was up, he could start marking out the ring inside, and once that was done the benches would need to be moved into position. There was still a lot to do.
Luca had never known a life away from the circus, nor did he wish to.
His great-grandfather had started the circus and it had been passed down through the family.
His father, Rory, owned it now and one day soon it would be Luca’s responsibility.
Rory was getting old and was training Luca to take his place when the time was right.
Luca would become the ring-master then and be responsible for running the show.
Not that the circus people needed much prompting.
They each had a job to do and did it without needing to be told.
Next to the circus the small fair that travelled with them was also being erected.
It was a more recent add-ition and had proved very popular.
There were swing boats and a merry-go-round as well as many stalls.
There was a smaller tent where the psychic, Gypsy May-Lee, would peer into her crystal ball and tell people their fortunes.
It always amused Luca to see people queuing to see her.
He had no idea if Gypsy May-Lee really did have a gift but her punters rarely left disappointed.
Another tent housed the bearded lady, although Luca knew that the beard was glued on.
The coconut shy was another popular attraction for the visitors.
Behind the fancy costumes and the glamour there was a life of hard work, but Luca didn’t mind that.
In fact, he still got a thrill each night when the lights were dimmed.
He loved to see the reactions when the performances began.
Cocoman the clown would always open the show.
He would parade around the ring squirting children with his water pistol.
They would squeal with delight at his huge red nose and enormous shoes.
And then Luca’s father would appear in his ringmaster’s top hat and tails to wild applause.
The timings for the show had to be accurate, and they always were.
There were trapeze artists and jugglers.
There was Fernando the fire-eater, and not forgetting the live animals they had tamed and trained.
Luca played a big role in caring for the animals.
He loved each and every one of them. They had bears, performing horses and dogs.
There were also two magnificent tigers. The audience would gasp with fear and admiration when they were led into the ring.
At one point they had even had an elephant.
Sadly, when he grew old, they had retired him to live out the rest of his life in a zoo.
Rory had always insisted that the animals should have as good a life as possible.
Luca agreed with him and cared for them each day, feeding them and cleaning out their enclosures.
Now, Luca’s eyes moved to the next field.
The circus came to Nuneaton twice a year and usually Rory’s good friend, Jethro, would join them.
He and his Gypsy camp would set up in the next field over.
Rory and Jethro had been good friends since they were boys.
Now Luca and Jethro’s son, Matthew, were firm friends too.
Originally, Rory’s father had bought some horses for training from Jethro’s father and they would try to meet up three or four times a year.
This year, though, there was no sign of Jethro yet, so Luca entered the big top to begin on the ring.
As he worked, Luca’s thoughts turned to Charity, Matthew’s sister.
For many years she had trailed around after Luca and Matthew and they’d found her to be a bit of a nuisance.
She could climb a tree as well as they could.
She could swim like a fish. But she had been childish and annoying.
But then two years ago, when the circus and the Gypsy camp met at Appleby Fair, Charity had emerged from her vardo and Luca’s eyes had almost popped out of his head.
She was like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon.
The puppy fat had been replaced by womanly curves.
Her dark hair, normally yanked back into an unflattering ponytail, was loose and shining.
It hung across her shoulders like a satin cloak and her eyes sparkled.
Luca, like most of the circus boys, had had his fair share of girls.
They flocked around them, and Luca had always had his pick, but they were easily forgotten.
From that moment on, Charity was not. Matthew had noticed the way his friend looked at her and had frowned.
‘You know it wouldn’t do for you to grow fond of my sister,’ he’d warned. ‘She is a Gypsy and expected to marry one of her own kind.’
Luca blushed with embarrassment. No girl had ever made him feel that way before.
‘I’m aware of that,’ he had answered coldly. But still, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her. It was as if she had cast a spell over him and now he could hardly wait to see her again.